The Fourth Room
by P. Pon Pon
Summary: Jin experiments with the Devil Gene. He has to know the best way to manage his dangerous mood swings and anxieties, so he moves into an apartment with Xiaoyu and Hwoarang. It's a 4-room apartment, though. Xiaoyu begs Jin to let someone occupy the room beside his, but he refuses. Later on, he owes someone a great debt because she saved his life. How does this tie in to Xiao's wish?
1. Fresh Air

The Fourth Room

_Street Fighter X Tekken Crossover_

Chapter 1:

Fresh Air

The room was stone cold—it was a crisp winter in Yakushima—but Jin didn't mind the frosty air nipping at his skin. It had been three months of this 'experiment', and he hadn't really seen much a change in his behavior. He continued to tell himself it was still too early in to make any calls, after all, they still had nine months to go until the year was up and they could determine whether they still wanted to live together or not.

He had done this so he would know the best way to deal with the mood swings he'd been having as of late. The moments of pure bliss could easily melt away into blazing rage and then a dim melancholy, and he knew that wasn't good for the Devil Gene. He, at first, didn't want to get Hwoarang and Xiaoyu involved, just for their own safety, but he'd realized that they weren't any more safe with him acting like a hormonal bastard rather than him actually trying to fix whatever was wrong...or at least handle it.

Hwoarang and Xiaoyu didn't take long to accept his invitation.

In less than a month—it had taken all of them to scrimp on every iota of whatever currency they could get a hold of—they had purchased a four-bedroom apartment. It was really nice—all of the rooms had their own bathroom, the doors slid like new and the windows were large—and initially, Jin figured it was too high scale for a year-long experiment. Yet, Xiaoyu had convinced him that, if the experiment had ended in the way that they'd continue to live together, they'd have a nice, Japanese-traditional style apartment to call home.

Things were going alright. There weren't really any arguments, and when Jin would feel a sudden wave of rage crash over him, he would storm out and come back when the wave had subsided. Still. Hwoarang's constant complaining ad ass-like behavior didn't help Jin's frustrations, and Xiaoyu's panda was constantly getting to all the dry foods and that was always annoying. She refuses to discipline him, and cries when Jin or Hwoarang does, because it's 'just his nature'.

In a nutshell, they all notice the little things about each other that turn into big things and cause problems.

Xiaoyu strolled into the kitchen, breaking Jin's concentration. "Jin? You're up earlier than usual."

"Couldn't sleep." Was all Jin muttered. He was feeling nauseous earlier and decided to make tea and stare out the kitchen window. He occasionally felt blood rushing to his head, and his body threatened to pass out on him, though it never did. But Jin didn't really know when it would eventually stop with the threats and really give out on him.

"Oh..." Xiaoyu sat down across from him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry." Jin knew that Xiaoyu was well aware he was here before she'd come in. He knew the real reason she was here. It was about that fucking fourth room, and finding someone to fill it, she'd been on him about it since the first day of living together.

"So Jin...about the room..."

He knew it. "Xiao, I already told you—the room is fine as a guest room."

"But we never have any guests."

"We might."

"Jin, no one ever invites anyone over."

Jin sighed.

"We bought this place because it was the cheapest nice place we could find, right?"

"Yes."

"So why not share it? We're not thinking about the full value. It almost seems like we pay rent for four people when only three people and a panda occupy this space."

"Xiao, no matter how many people live here, we're going to pay the same amount. And we don't need anyone else to live here, and that's it."

She sighed. "Alright, Jin." She aways said that. He knew she never meant it, but she knew she wasn't going to get her way...at least not for now.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment until Xiaoyu stood. "I'm going to go release Panda into the bamboo gardens. I'll be back in maybe an hour."

"Alright." Jin sighed.

"And go easy on yourself, Jin."

"I will." He falsely promised.

Xiaoyu knew that was a false promise. But she smiled at him anyway as she went to her room to dress and fetch Panda.

Hwoarang said hello to her in the hallway as he came into the kitchen. "Jin, good morning."

"Morning." Jin replied dryly. This morning didn't really deserve the title 'Good'.

"Any plans for today?"

"No. Besides training."

"Ah." He opened up one of the cabinets, "I heard Xiao buggin' you about that room."

Jin sighed, to at least show he was listening.

"Maybe she's right, Jin."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, if she's _this _persistent about it, she must see a really good reason for you to go for it. Plus, if anything goes wrong, you have every right to throw them out onto the street. The place is in your name."

"I just don't see what the point of having another personality here is." Jin rose, placing his cup into the sink and going to the hall.

He'd entered his room, and after a quick shower and dress, he was headed to the basement, bound to be there for hours, just training away.

…

Jin stumbled up the stairs, breathing heavily. His head was pounding as he leaned against the door frame of the kitchen.

"Jin!" Xiaoyu nearly dropped the plate she was holding, "Are you okay?!" She asked in alarm.

"I...I'm fine..." Jin straightened his posture best he could as he went for the door, "I just need...need fresh air..." And he'd slipped out, avoiding further question.

Hwoarang came into the kitchen shortly after, asking, "What the hell was that about?"

Xiaoyu shrugged, worry on her face.

"Maybe he's just having another mood swing."

"Hwoa," She shook her head, "I think it might be more than that."


	2. Debt

The Fourth Room

_Street Fighter X Tekken Crossover_

…

Chapter 2:

Debt

Jin stumbled out into the forest, struggling to catch his breath. He knew what was happening...but he didn't know why. Why was this sudden anger possessing him? He had practically nothing to be this angry about...and yet rage split his mind into secs of more rage.

"_Calm down..."_ He begged of himself, _"Please, no...not now..."_ He fought this with everything in his power, but he couldn't really think of anything he liked or loved enough to settle this anger. His friends...? Not even they would settle the dark voice of the devil beckoning to him.

"No..." Jin whispered to himself, "Dammit, leave me alone!" He held his head and his breaths were split as easily as skin at the fate of the sharpest katana. _"Dammit Jin! Stop being so weak...!"_ He was shaking, his eyes rolling back into his head.

"Hey!" A sharp voice called.

"_No...go away! Whoever you are, you aren't safe!"_

Two men raised their guns. "Ain't you that little shit that chased off our clean kill yesterday?" The fatter of the two asked.

Fuck. Poachers.

"Get...out of here!" Jin shouted at them. "Go, now! I don't want to hurt you!"

"That a threat?" The other asked, "Loo, son, you ain't the one with the gun, so I suppose you shut up!"

Those fuckers. Jin hated poachers, hell, that's why he ruined their little sport yesterday. But he didn't hate them enough to the point where he'd brutally kill them! And to Jin in this state, a gun shot was nothing! He'd learned that when his bastard of a grandfather attempted to blow his brains out.

"Get out of..." His voice dissolved from a sharp yell to a cloudy whisper, "...here..." His head felt light.

"Hugo, are you quite finished?" Poison asked from the tree she used to shield her vision of her indecent ally.

"Poison! Look over there!" He thrust his meaty finger to the direction of two poachers. They had their guns raised to a very, very handsome man not to far away.

"Well, looks like we might get some action is Yakushima after all, huh Hugo? Let's move!" Poison ran in. Not only was she thirsty for some real excitement after that lame fest they call a tournament, but she couldn't let someone as hot as that raven-haired die. Not like she really cared about him, or anything. Hell, she didn't even know this guy. But there was one thing she knew: Poaching is illegal. Illegal activity leads to cops, and she doesn't wanna see them tonight, not even if they weren't after her. And she was also tired of spending her money at hotels until she could muster up enough for a plane ticket home, and saving money while spending money is damn near impossible, so maybe this guy knew a free place where she could go while she counted her earnings.

Just as the dynamic duo were in earshot of the scene, Jin felt his head lighten as he stumbled like a drunk, trying to save the life of these two men before him.

"Hey!" Poison jumped in, landing smack on her heels, right in front of Jin, "Don't you boys know that poaching's against the law?"

The men exchanged glances before laughing. "And what're you gonna do about it, little lady?"

"Kick your ass, that's what I'll do!" She sacked the gun out of one of their hands with her heel, it was airborne for a short time before Hugo stomped it and smashed it to particles.

The other man shook and felt for his trigger, but Poison wouldn't give him any break. She slapped him with the front and back of her hand a good even number of times, before she took the gun and threw it too to Hugo, the human giant repeating his act.

She had them both shocked, not only that this was happening, but because of a _woman_.

Jin's voice was thinner than air as he asked something like, "What...the...hell...?" And he fell to his side, smashing into a tree as everything turned to shadows.

…

"Hugo, stop that!"

"I'm sorry, Poison. I thought it would wake him up."

"You big idiot! You wanna break his face? This hottie might be our only chance to not spend any money tonight, and if you ruin that I swear to God, I'll—"

"Poison, look! He's opening his eyes!"

Jin stared at the familiar faces before him.

"Well hello there, Sleeping Beauty~!" the woman from earlier giggled. She was leaned over him, her nose almost touching his.

Jin looked at her and gently pushed her back to give himself some personal space. "What the hell happened...?"

"Those Poachers wanted to kill you because you 'ruined their kill' or something, but then you passed out. Hugo and I sent them running, though." She giggled deviously, "And we made 'em swear they'd leave the forest and you alone, or we'd beat them something awful."

"You...saved my life..."

"Well, they were a joke, really. I didn't really even have to get Hugo to break their bones. I really...took care of them myself. I'm sure, if you hadn't passed out, that you could've whipped those jackasses just as easily."

"But still...you saved me." Jin bowed his head to her. "I owe you a great debt." His mother had always taught him that if someone saved your life, no matter who they were or why they'd done it, you owed them a debt equally as large, to show how much honor you had as a person. Now, what was of equal debt, that was trully up to your choosing, as long as you believe with every beat of your heart that it is equal. "Thank you."

Poison blushed. She didn't know why, but she just did. "Don't mention it...really, don't." She tipped his head up with her finger so he'd stop with the bowing.

"Why did you save me...?" Jin asked, stretching out the kinks in his neck from being against that tree for so long.

"I didn't wanna run into the cops. And you think I'd let a babe like you die?" She laughed one syllable, "Ha. Not in a million years."

"Uh..." Jin blushed, embarrassed and flattered, "Okay..."

"Anyway, since you're alive, I wanted to ask you something. Is there a place we could stay around here for free? I mean...we're trying to save up our cash to make it back to L.A, but spending money every night to sleep isn't helping our case."

"Well..." Jin honestly thought, "I...live here, so I don't know many places that you could stay—" Then Xiaoyu's voice flooded his mind about that damned fourth room.

"Oh, damn." She huffed. "Well thanks for nothing!"

"If you really need a place to stay, I have an unoccupied room in my apartment. Now...I know you probably don't trust me very well, because we've just met, but—"

"A room, really?" She grinned, "Can I stay awhile, then? I'm not going home to anything, and I speak Japanese like a second language!"

"I..." Jin sighed. He _did_ owe her. And he hated owing people. "Fine. But since you're staying awhile, you're going to pay rent and adjust to some loose rules. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course we do..." She bit her lip. "What's your name?"

"Jin."

"Jin? Jin Kazama?"

"How do you know that?"

"I was just at a tournament, competing. Everyone was talking about you...you must be some sort of legend or something."

"Far from it. I just go to tournaments a lot."

"Do you win often?"

"Yes...enough to be considered often, I guess."

"It seemed like everyone wanted to fight you, for the challenge."

"Either that, or to redeem themselves from last tournament."

"I'm Poison, by the way. And that's Hugo."

"Poison is your real name?"

"As far as you know."

He scoffed. "Well, I hope your comfortable sharing a room with Hugo."

"Whoa, stop there. You got a basement?"

"Well yes...but I train down there."

"He'd only sleep down there, Jin. He won't be in there while you are, I'll make sure of it."

They began to head back in the direction of the apartment.

"Damn...alright. I guess we could put a couple futons together..." He looked to Hugo. _"Maybe more than a couple."_ Then it hit him. "Poison, did anything strange happen to me while I was passed out?"

"I wouldn't know, I wasn't really looking at you. You didn't make any noises or anything, you just seemed like you were...dead."

"_So the Devil Gene didn't brainwash me completely...? Hmm...that's strange..."_


	3. Trust Issues

The Fourth Room

_Street Fighter X Tekken Crossover_

…

Chapter 3:

Trust Issues

"Wow...this is your apartment...?" Poison studied the building in awe, "It's so pretty! All the Sakura Trees and the bamboo...it's like a feudal home!"

"It _is_, basically." Jin replied.

"So you and your friends stay here?"

"Yes." Jin slid the door open.

"Jin! Thank goodness you're alright!" Xiaoyu jumped off the couch, "Hwoarang! Jin's home...with company..."

"Actually, Xiaoyu," Hwoarang walked in while Jin was explaining. "This is Poison and Hugo. They're the new roommates. Hugo is staying in the basement at night, and Poison sleeps in the room beside me. Get used to them."

Xiaoyu jumped for joy. "Yay!" She bowed. "I'm Ling Xiaoyu! Pleased to meet you."

"Hwoarang." He placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head.

"Poison, you're room is the final door on the right side of the hall. It's the room with only a bed in it...you couldn't miss it."

"Great. Well, I'm going to go sleep. Night, guys."

"Goodnight." They all waved to her.

Hugo had disappeared into the basement, which left the initial three discussing in the living room.

"Oh Jin! I'm so glad you listened to me!" Xiaoyu grinned.

"But why them?" Hwoarang asked. "Where'd you pick up a hot chick and a giant?"

"I was sure the Devil Gene was about to take me over in the forest, and then these Poachers came and had me at gunpoint. I told them to get lost, before something horrible happened, but apparently they were the same poachers Xiaoyu and I stopped from shooting Panda when he ran off into the forest last night, and they had a bone to pick with me for it. I ended up fainting, but before I did, I saw those two, mainly the girl, swoop in and save me. They're from America, and they're here for some kind of tournament."

"So, they won't be here for the full year?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Yes, they will. Poison understood there was a free room, and since I am in debt to her, she;s staying here with her friend."

"Yay! This is going to be so much fun!" Xiaoyu chimed.

"Hold up a moment, though. What about the Devil Gene?" Hwoarang asked.

"I have no idea. It just...didn't come through, fully."

"What?" Hwoarang asked. "That thing that attacked me subsided for some fucking poachers?"

"I doubt it's because of them." Jin rolled his eyes.

"Do you think it has something to do with Hugo and Poison?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Though they did save my life, ad the lives of those two poachers, I doubt it. I don't know them yet, so it can't be feelings. It was probably just because I passed out."

"Oh..." Xiaoyu checked the clock. "It's late, Jin. After all of that, you should rest. We all should. Hwoa and I were posted here, worrying about you."

"Nahhh, it was mostly her." Hwoarang pointed out, falsely.

Xiaoyu rolled her eyes. She knew the truth, that Hwoarang was the one pacing the room, praying for Jon's health, but she kept silent about it. "Anyway, maybe we can all go out for ice cream tomorrow!"

Jin shrugged. "Maybe." He headed for the hall.

He laid in his bed, hours later that same night. The events of the day replayed through his mind as he sighed.

…

It was nearly 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Jin had come into the kitchen, fully dressed and pissed that he'd woken up so late.

Xiaoyu was laughing as she sat across from Poison. Hwoarang was in the seat next to Xiaoyu, and Jin could see Hugo outside,through the window, doing...something...

"Well, look who's awake!" Hwoarang laughed as he leaned backward.

Poison was sitting in Jin's normal spot, and Jin, already irritated at the late start on his day, sighed in further irritation.

"Something wrong?" Poison asked, cocking a brow, a knowing smirk on her face.

Jin would have let it go if she didn't smirk at him. "You know you're sitting where I like to, don't you?"

"That's possible." She laughed.

Xiaoyu giggled, too.

"Yeah, I told her she should sit there if she wanted to bother you." Hwoarang chuckled.

"Well, you're little childish attempts aren't working because I'm _not_ bothered." He spat as he slumped down next to Poison.

"Aww, I'm sorry _Jin_," Poison giggled, "I won't do it again~."

He ignored her little flirty tone as he moved on. "I don't know why I woke up so late..."

"Maybe you just had a long day. After all, you did mention not being able to sleep yesterday morning. Maybe that was the full amount of hours you missed." Xiaoyu shrugged.

"Maybe." Jin crossed his arms, leaning on the table.

"Poison and I went shopping for stuff to decorate her new room! It looks so pretty now!" Xiaoyu gleamed.

Poison laughed. "All thanks to you, sweetheart." She tapped Xiaoyu's nose.

Xiaoyu giggled.

"Yeah, and while you were sleepin' away, and while you girls were shopping, _I_ was _alone _with _HUGO_." Hwoarang shivered. "He asked me to wrestle, and I didn't want to be a bitch, so of course I accepted...I couldn't feel my legs for an HOUR."

"Only an hour?" Poison joked, "He went easy on you."

Three of the people in the room laughed. The only person who remained solemn was Jin.

"Well, it sounds like you all had a good time." Jin said.

"We did...and we wanted to include you..." Xiaoyu sighed.

"But we didn't want to wake you up." Poison finished.

"Yeah, I bet you didn't." Jin rose and left the kitchen.

"Damn, all I did was steal his seat..." Poison scoffed.

"Yeah, but he doesn't really know you, so he sees more 'you were trying to bother him', rather than just 'you were poking fun'." Hwoarang sighed. "He was the same way when he'd first met me, and from what I understand, Xiaoyu as well."

Xiaoyu nodded. "For a while, I had to make sure he understood that I was only joking. I had to keep reminding him. After a while, he got used to it. He wouldn't even tell us about his past until after a good year of friendship."

"I bet he's just sensitive." Poison sighed.

"You'd win that bet." Hwoarang promised, "But Jin's a really good guy, Poison. Don't hate him, or anything."

Poison smiled at Hwoarang. "Do you always stand up for your friends?"

Hwoarang blushed, "Ahhh...sure. Yeah..."

She giggled. "I...I don't hate him..." She blushed a little.

Xiaoyu noticed that and gasped, giggling like a little primary schoolgirl.

"He's just...a little annoying." Poison finished, coughing awkwardly and regaining her normal composure.

"Don't we know it?" Hwoarang laughed and Xiaoyu silently nodded.

"I'm going to go talk to him." Xiaoyu said, standing.

Jin was staring out the window of his room. Why did he feel so irritated around Poison? Sure, what she'd done was annoying, but it wasn't _that_ bad. But strangely, he didn't feel the Devil Gene boil in his blood. He just felt really annoyed.

"Jin?" Xiaoyu slid his door open. "Can we talk?"

"Xiaoyu, I don't want to talk." Jin said, not even turning to her. He just stood there, leaning on the window ledge, watching Panda chew up the bamboo they'd eventually have to replace.

"But I do." Xiaoyu whined. "And it's important. It's about Poison."

"This is exactly why I didn't want to talk, Xiao."

"Why do you hate her?"

"I don't."

"Then why are you mad at her?"

"I'm not."

"Then why'd you storm out and make her feel bad?"

"I..." He stopped. "I don't know."

"She won't take your chair again, Jin."

"That's not..." It made perfect sense in his head, but it just wasn't right leaving his lips. "I just don't trust her! The only reason she's here is because I owe it to her..."

"Jin...if she's going to be living here, you have to learn how to trust her, or else this whole experiment is going to end in your anger with the Devil Gene just getting worse, and the Devil will control you easily—"

"Dammit Xiao, do you think I didn't know that?! I just _can't_ trust her! I don't know her at all, and I don't even think I want to. She's rude and dresses like a hooker, amd I just feel like this debt to her is going to go too far! Maybe I'd rather died there—or gave into the Devil Gene and killed those poachers dead in their tracks!"

"Jin...you...can't mean that..." Xiaoyu said, taken aback. Though she'd only gotten to know Poison for a few hours, she felt close to her. She felt like she had to protect her. Xiaoyu knew Poison dressed the way she did for a reason, because it seemed like all of the over-sexualized behavior was just a show. She caught glimpses of the _real_ Poison_._ "Jin...you just can't!" 

Poison stood at the side of the doorway, hidden. She shouldn't care so much, but damn, that hurt. To hear him say that...on the first day they're living together! And to think she was starting to _like _him! Her heart didn't break, it only cracked. She stormed away from her position, muttering to Hwoarang that she was leaving and she didn't know when she'd be back, and was out the front door and down the garden steps, her heels clicking as she quickly stomped down the street.

She'd left _that_ fast, Hwoarang stood, confused, in the living room.

"Jin, just give her more time. She's really nice...she bought me a ton of stuff, and we weren't even shopping for _me!_ She's just irritating you because..." Well, she couldn't say what she was thinking. She didn't know that for sure yet. "She's only being mean to you because you're a boy! Just give her a moment, and you'll see it's all a joke! Just like how it was between you and Hwoarang and you and me in the beginning!"

"Xiaoyu, I just don't trust her and that's the way it is." He said coldly.

Xiaoyu turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Jin alone.

Hwoarang was going down the hall when he saw Xiaoyu. "Hey, slow down! Do you know where Poison went?"

"Poison went somewhere?" Xiaoyu cocked a brow.

"She just ran down the hall and stormed out, muttering she was leaving and she didn't know when she'd come back."

Since they were barely outside his door, Jin heard them conversing.

"She ran down the hall...? Oh no! She must've heard what Jin said!"

Jin turned around, facing the empty silhouette of the door.

"What? What did Jin say?" Hwoarang asked, and were are you going?"

"That he didn't trust her, and a bunch of other stuff. And I'm going to go find her. Which way did she go?"

"Xiao, you don't have to go look for her. She's coming back. Just stick around, she'll turn up." Hwoarang convinced her.

Jin faced his window again, his arms crossed. It was her fault for eavesdropping, anyway.


	4. Trust Issues Part II

The Fourth Room

_Street Fighter X Tekken Crossover_

…

Chapter 4:

Trust Issues, Part II

Poison had pushed her way down the street, and now she had found herself perched on a bench beside some kind of fountain. _"You are not going to cry. You are not going to cry."_ She told herself, _"Don't let what that handsome bastard said to you make you cry, dammit. You're better than this, Poison."_ A heavy sigh shoved its way past her lips as she let her shoulders drop.

If anyone should have some fucking damn trust issues, it should be her.

But she felt like she could trust Jin with her life, for some reason.

It was because of the debt.

Because he was a man of honor and his word was bond. He would save her life, too, and maybe that was why she trusted him. Even now, after what he'd said.

She stood. She'd caused her scene. It was time to go back, now.

She hadn't gotten that far away, so the walk back didn't give her much time to prepare herself for what might be behind that door.

The first person she saw was also the last person she saw; Hwoarang.

"Poison! You're back." He looked at the clock, "You were gone for nearly an hour...I..." he blushed a little, "I was a little worried."

"I'm sorry for making you worry, really, you shouldn't have." She sighed.

"Don't tell him I said it, but I think Jin is worried about you, too. And Xiao wanted to dash out after you, but I'd figured you'd needed the alone time, if you'd rushed out like that."

"Jin..." She bit her lip.

"Yeah...Xiao told me some of the sour stuff he said. He's just stressed, alright? I'm sure his intentions weren't to hurt you. He was probably just confused."

"No...he was right. I am rude and I do dress like a whore. But..." She sighed, "I really am trying to better myself, Hwoa, really..."

He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed comfortingly. "I believe you...I knew that you weren't just a body as soon as you walked in. Because if you were, you wouldn't have saved Jin."

She pulled him closer to her and hugged tightly. "Hwoarang...that really means a lot to me...thank you for believing me...no one ever does..."

He hugged her back. "You're...welcome." He blushed.

Jin walked into the living room, "Hwoarang, if she isn't back yet I'm going to go—" He froze. "Oh. So you are back."

Poison pulled away from Hwoarang as she felt her face get hot and her eyes narrowed. "So I am."

"Well good."

"What's so good about it? If anything, I thought you'd be glad to have me gone." She brushed past him.

"Wait...Poison..." Hwoarang reached out a hand for her, but she was too quick. "Well, fuck."

Jin's eyebrow raised at Hwoarang, but he turned and followed Poison. "What are you talking about? You running off and making everyone worry isn't a damned good thing!"

"Excuse me? Don't you do the same thing?"

"When I do it, it's for everyone's safety! When you do it you just cause a scene! I have to make sure that you're safe, or I'll forever have a debt to you!"

Poison sighed angrily. "Is that it? Is that all there will ever be between us? Not a friendship, or anything else, but just some stupid debt you think you owe me? What if you do end up repaying me, and soon? What then? If you don't trust me, then I'll just be some person in your past that you'll forget, Jin, and I don't wanna be that!"

"Why? From your bad attitude it seems like you wouldn't give a damn if I forgot you!"

"_My_ bad attitude? Excuse me? You're the one with the bad attitude! You talked a bunch of shit about me! And to someone else! And you don't even _know _me! You don't know a fucking damn thing _about _me, Jin! And you don't care to know! That's what bothers me."

"Who told you that? Maybe I want to trust you, but I just want to avoid looking like a jackass if you end up...you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you." Jin slammed his door.

Poison opened it. "Hell no! You're not getting off that easy! I want to know the truth."

"Get the hell out of here! This is _my _room, damn you!"

"I'll leave as soon as you tell me why the hell you don't trust me, and why you're overreacting over me taking your seat! It's too heated a subject now to just let it go, Jin!"

"Poison, get _out_!" Jin ordered.

"I told you what you had to do if you wanted me to leave."

Jin sighed, frustrated. "Dammit! Stop being so difficult!"

"I could ask the same of y—" Poison stopped when the door slid closed and locked by itself.

"What the hell? You're going to lock yourself in here, is that it?"

"No! Jin I didn't do that!"

"And why should I believe that? Shit, you'll go to whatever extremes to get what you want, won't you?"

"I'm not fucking around! I really didn't do that!"

"She's telling the truth, Jin!" Xiaoyu said from behind the door.

"What the he—Xiaoyu? Why did you lock the door? You know if you lock it from the outside, I can't unlock it."

"Yeah, we know that." Hwoarang's voice came. "Until you two talk things out like _people, _Xiaoyu and I are going to keep you in there."

"You have no right!" Jin claimed, "Unlock this door _now!_"

"No, Jin. We can't. It's not safe for any of us in this home—including yourself—if you and Poison can't get along. I'm sorry to upset you, but this is just the way it has to be, for the best for everyone. Just...avoid hurting her anymore. Talk to her. You really need to."

Jin was silent as he heard their feet shuffle away.

"So you're just not going to say anything, then?" Poison asked, after a while of them sitting in silence.

Jin didn't reply. He turned his head away from her, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"You know, people do this to children. And we're adults, and adults figure out how to get somewhere. We're not getting anywhere like this."

Jin truly thought. He shouldn't tell her a damned thing. He really shouldn't. But...she was right. He didn't have to tell her _everything_, but his mother would probably be ashamed of him for going this far—to where his friends lock him into a room to solve his issue. He didn;t mean to hurt anyone...that's not what he wanted! No one understands—he's not five anymore! He wouldn't throw a big fit over someone taking his chair! He just...didn't want to put himself on the line, and then get stabbed—not just in the back—but in his heart. And the fact that he could never say that didn't help in their misunderstanding.

"Fine. Since you won't talk..." Poison sighed, "I guess I'll start. Because then at least you'll know the truth. No matter what you're actions are...you'll at least know."

Jin still didn't move anything but his eyelids—to blink.

"I don't know why...but you really hurt me when you said what you did. I guess part of it is my fault for eavesdropping...I should've been prepared to hear you say something harsh...but...I guess I just hung on to some string that was tugging at my heart that told me you were just having a bad day. Or that...you hand a nightmare...or something. But...Jin, I am _not _so much a bad person. The real reason I didn't wake you up was because you were crying in your sleep, and I wished I hadn't seen it...but I did."

Jin looked at her now, shocked. His pillow was wet...and his eyes were puffy and red...but he woke up like that plenty of times. And someone saw it...?

" And because you were crying, I thought you needed to relax and calm down, because with just one look at you, I know you've been through a lot. Hwoarang and Xiaoyu told me a little about your Devil Gene...and though I can't understand that, I can understand hating one of hour parents. I can understand people mistaking you for something you're not...hell, I can just understand being through a lot!"

Though he still didn't speak, Jin was looking at her now.

"When I was...maybe fifteen...my parents divorced. My mom moved me to L.A., in hopes that she could find a job. Well, turned out she never really looked. And I can remember..." She started to tear up, "My...My mother told me that in order to make money, she would 'sell me to people for a few hours', and I'd have to do whatever they wanted...and I didn't want to! I didn't want to go to some man's house and have sex with him for money! But my mom told me that if I didn't, she's kick me out on the street and I'd end up doing it anyway. And looking back on it...I wish I told her I didn't care...and that it wasn't worth it...but I was so scared that she wouldn't love me anymore, and that I had no way of getting back to New York City and telling Daddy what she was doing...I didn't have a phone, so I couldn't call him...I just did it. Eventually it became waking up in the morning, school, and then prostitution...and it was just so sickening. I was disgusted with myself! But I told myself that when Mommy says she's 'proud of you, Roxanne', it's the same as 'I love you, Roxanne'. She was so happy whenever I brought home a lot of money...and when I was about seventeen, she went digging through my old stuff and found my old barbie. She told me I should look just like it...it had long hair and barely wore any clothes...it was always smiling and it was just perfect. So I grew my hair really, really long, and my mom replaced all my clothes and told me to always smile. Then she died of a drug overdose when I turned twenty, and I knew that, though she never said she loved me after the split, she would love me if I just looked like that doll. I stopped being a prostitute after she died, but I told myself that as long as I look like that doll...than my mommy loves me." She covered her face and sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently.

Jin stared at her in shock. He wasn't sure what to do, but he remembered earlier, when Hwoarang touched her shoulders. He put his hand on her back. "I...I'm sorry to hear that...I wrote something down once..._Moments of the past will always come to find you. You don't have to relive them...but they'll always remind you._ You know you're not going to forget what you actually want to. And if you're mother's love is only worth some superficial look...than maybe you don't need it."

"You're probably right..." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Jin. For whatever I did to make you act like that, I'm sorry."

"I should be the one apologizing. After the way I acted, I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"I do forgive you. You just...weren't yourself. It's okay, Jin. I get it."

"Well...you truly can't understand...until you hear my story."


End file.
